Life without Cable and Still get all the TV & Movies you want.

[Nords]

Funny thing happened this summer-- they turned off the billing but forgot to turn off the cable. I have not reported it yet. I feel bad.

"Your report is important to us! Someone will be with you in just... twenty... nine... minutes. Please press "one" to continue in English. Para "dos" por Espanol..."

Enjoy the karma rebalancing as long as it lasts.

It's a great dose of schadenfreude to watch cable companies do to themselves what they've been doing so well to their customers for so long.

 

[Independent]

You are correct about the legality of some of the content. I personally don't mind paying for content, however I don't want to drive to Blockbuster (10 miles away) to rent a movie and return it later (or even worst find out that it's not available). We don't have a movie theater nearby so that's out. Pay per view content requires cable/satellite (which we no longer have). So frankly, the availability of these service are not at all convenient for us.

So the movie companies and distributors have a really big problem and we are all awaiting a workable solution.

Also, there are ways now of downloading content that is spyware/malware safe and keeping the internet police off your back...but that's another topic.

Regardless, cable TV as we know it is dying fast. Hell my new Panasonic TV allows me to watch internet TV, youtube, etc, directly without a PC or media server!

I think NetFlix is a solution to the problem you describe. Your solution may be cheaper.

 

[JustNtime]

I dump my cable every summer when the kids are out of school to get rid of the temptation to veg out all day. Funny thing happened this summer-- they turned off the billing but forgot to turn off the cable. I have not reported it yet. I feel bad.

When I discovered the tv content on my cable internet, I read up on something 'they' refer to as 'passive theft of cable content'... It boggles the mind, but they can actually take you to court and have you fined/etc. for using content w/o paying for it -- even though it was their mistake...

So I told them the content was there and was rewarded with a free visit from a technician who updated the filters and connections and wallah/wahoo a stable internet connection. I can now stream the content I want from the internet reliably and I don't really miss the cable/satellite content...

Surprisingly, the cable guys digging up my front yard for their new cable did an amazingly good job of filling in their waist deep holes and removing their shoulder high piles of clay/rocks/roots/etc. We'll see how many plants survive their ordeal and whether the seed they spread actually does anything but feed the birds... Buttt... Thanks ditch digging cable guys! -- you had me a little worried...

 

[unclemick]

$142/month - boy oh boy have I drifted a long way from my more frugal days.

VIOP phone, speedy internet, cable tv with sports but not the 'super' sports package.

I'll be reading this thread more than once - when my 'cheap gene' kicks in.

Thanks everyone!

heh heh heh - .

 

[e86s54]

When I discovered the tv content on my cable internet, I read up on something 'they' refer to as 'passive theft of cable content'... It boggles the mind, but they can actually take you to court and have you fined/etc. for using content w/o paying for it -- even though it was their mistake...

I personally never take that stuff seriously. From an optics standpoint, it would be a major public relations disaster to go after a paying customer.

Or to look at it in another way, how many successful prosecutions (or even attempts to prosecute) have they had...my guess is zero! In my 8 years in CATV, I have never seen one. I remember I guy who was going around to his buddies places and replacing tap filters (that trap out specialty channels) with ones that had the filter removed. He was caught, but the police and cable company did not have the inclination to pursue the theft of services. Never even talked to the households that had them installed.

Regards...

 

[e86s54]

$142/month - boy oh boy have I drifted a long way from my more frugal days.

VIOP phone, speedy internet, cable tv with sports but not the 'super' sports package.

I'll be reading this thread more than once - when my 'cheap gene' kicks in.

I'm not cheap, but not stupid either. I don't mind paying for fair value...the value of cable TV / Satellite is dropping fast.

BTW, everyone should do a x-check with all TV, phone and cell services available to you, then call your current operator and let them know you'll be moving to a competitor if they don't price match. My experience is that they will price match on the spot! This has saved me $70/month on my total telecommunications services for my household. The push from all these companies is to reduce churn as the cost to acquire customers is high...they don't want to lose them for nothing. For example, I have Sirius radio in my truck...$10/month and I don't really listen to it that much, so I called to cancel. I still have it, but for $4/month and I didn't even ask for a reduction.


Regards...

 

[JustNtime]

I personally never take that stuff seriously. From an optics standpoint, it would be a major public relations disaster to go after a paying customer.

Or to look at it in another way, how many successful prosecutions (or even attempts to prosecute) have they had...my guess is zero! In my 8 years in CATV, I have never seen one. I remember I guy who was going around to his buddies places and replacing tap filters (that trap out specialty channels) with ones that had the filter removed. He was caught, but the police and cable company did not have the inclination to pursue the theft of services. Never even talked to the households that had them installed.

Regards...

You're probably right, but they did cite successful cases against folks who moved into apartments, never ordered cable, and then used the cable service that was left active from previous tenants... Soo with a little nudging from my saintly wife and my better angels - I notified the cable company of their error. The good karma and/or service call did improve my cable internet performance. So alls well -etc...

I'm sure if one quietly accepts the cable company's 'gift' and doesn't brag too much to the neighbors paying $70-80 for the same service (or publish how to in blogs), then one will likely 'get away with it'. I just know I'm building up those reward points in heaven and some day I just might need them.

But then again, there is that nagging sound in the back of my mind of Penn (or is it Teller) screaming --- "YOU FOOL!!"...

P.S. Penn & Teller -- which one is the ventriloquist and which one is the dummy again?

 

[Spanky]

We've never had cable or satellite. We had three kids, and figured that fewer TV choices made for less temptation to sit and vegetate.

(PS. I'm really impressed with the quality of over the air HDTV)

Only DW watches TV. No cable or satellite for us.

 

[Midpack]

BTW, everyone should do a x-check with all TV, phone and cell services available to you, then call your current operator and let them know you'll be moving to a competitor if they don't price match. My experience is that they will price match on the spot! This has saved me $70/month on my total telecommunications services for my household.Regards...

I second this. I have had 25% off my cable internet for at least 6 years. Everytime they threaten to raise me, I remind them I could have DSL for half the price, and they give me the 25% discount again for a few years. If they ever deny the discount, I will indeed switch to DSL. Why not...

 

[RonBoyd]

I second this. I have had 25% off my cable internet for at least 6 years. Everytime they threaten to raise me, I remind them I could have DSL for half the price, and they give me the 25% discount again for a few years. If they ever deny the discount, I will indeed switch to DSL. Why not...

Turn down a 50% discount for a 25% one. Interesting ploy.

 

[Dennis]

Unfortuantely, being in Rural -Resort area it's either have a 40 ft tower or go Cable.. We have Basic costing us $40/mo and Every Yr for 3 mos , we get Premium to catch up on movies.. afterr that time they're nothing but Reruns over and over again..

We tried HD but Most of the time they just Shrink the picutre and if oyu do that, sure your going to get a Sharper picture..More Lines of Resolution per Sq. inch.. and thus we dumped it after 3 mos and $10/mo for it..

We still use the Old VCR to record most of our Programs to edit out all the Added Commercials , seeing as now your lucky to get 40 min of a Show and 20 min of Commercials..

And in our State ( Wi) we are trying to get Selction Cable.. Allowing us to selct what channels we want to pay for and not their Packged deals forcing us to pay for 50% of the Channels we don't want to support with our $.. Like the Buyers channels for Junk and tattoo, ( INK), Bikers and Cartoon and What used to be Good, was SYFY but is now all Grabage about Ghosts and Old Reruns..

When we has the Kids? There was No TV for them durning the Weekdays.. they had extra things at school till 5-6 pm , then Dinner , then Homework till Bedtime..and Sports on the wknds and Camping during the Summer and they all got Scholorships, so it really paid off .... and they all stayed Thin & Active as well.

Habits they are now doing with their Kids..

Thank Goodness..

They Intregrated some Latino and Black kids into our schools and they couldn't believe how it was such a Different world towards Education/Homework and Participation by the Parents.. I feel sorry for those kids that weren't able to experience that..

 

[tuixiu]

Options are definitely growing. Some blueray players have builtin netflix streamers, and now even some netbook PCs (like HP mini 311) have HDMI out so you can use one cable with an ultraportable to watch content. Once flash 10.1 comes out that'll be as good as anything else for streaming.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

For those globetrotters out there, be aware that you cannot view ABC shows, for example, from their website if you are outside of the US--even in Canada. They can tell where you are connecting from.

 

[tuixiu]

Couldn't you just run your browser thu a proxy in the US?

 

[DeborahB]

I am still confused. What I've got now is digital cable and netflix, 50" DLP HD TV. What I don't have is Tivo or any DVR recorder.

I hardly ever watch TV as such - but am somewhat addicted to an occasional show. Dollhouse, currently. A lot of them can be watched on my PC monitor but I'd like to watch them on the TV. We watch a LOT of movies from netflix.

What's the best device to get the PC content (last week's show's of Mad Men or whatever) to the TV?

We have competition for cable in our area and they offered me a phenomenal deal when I mentioned switching

 

[RonBoyd]

You have been rescued:

'Dollhouse' shuts its doors - From Inside the Box - Zap2it

'Dollhouse': Why we're happy it got canceled (other than the obvious) - From Inside the Box - Zap2it

 

[JustNtime]

I am still confused. What I've got now is digital cable and netflix, 50" DLP HD TV. What I don't have is Tivo or any DVR recorder.

I hardly ever watch TV as such - but am somewhat addicted to an occasional show. Dollhouse, currently. A lot of them can be watched on my PC monitor but I'd like to watch them on the TV. We watch a LOT of movies from netflix.

What's the best device to get the PC content (last week's show's of Mad Men or whatever) to the TV?

We have competition for cable in our area and they offered me a phenomenal deal when I mentioned switching

If your PC doesn't have an HDMI output, then probably a monitor cable (SVGA) - (or a S-video or component/composit video as another possibility). Key is to choose the best matching connections between your PCs outputs and your TV inputs. I regularly use a long SVGA monitor cable my son gave me to connect TV to my laptop. It does quite well, if you know the little trick for sending picture to alt monitor. For regular PC just unplug monitor plug into TV wallah 50" monitor.

I'll bet the phenomenal will eventually wear off the deal they offer...

 

[RonBoyd]

What's the best device to get the PC content (last week's show's of Mad Men or whatever) to the TV?

Have you looked at any of the stuff in this thread?:

http://www.early-retirement.org/for...h-component-video-input-47236.html#post874614

Of course, there is always the "sneaker" net -- record your PC content onto a DVD and play it in the player connected to the TV.

 

[DeborahB]

Have you looked at any of the stuff in this thread?:

http://www.early-retirement.org/for...h-component-video-input-47236.html#post874614

Of course, there is always the "sneaker" net -- record your PC content onto a DVD and play it in the player connected to the TV.

Yes, I actually read the whole thread, but there were so many options I wasn't sure which one was the best for me.

 

[DeborahB]

If your PC doesn't have an HDMI output, then probably a monitor cable (SVGA) - (or a S-video or component/composit video as another possibility). Key is to choose the best matching connections between your PCs outputs and your TV inputs. I regularly use a long SVGA monitor cable my son gave me to connect TV to my laptop. It does quite well, if you know the little trick for sending picture to alt monitor. For regular PC just unplug monitor plug into TV wallah 50" monitor.

I'll bet the phenomenal will eventually wear off the deal they offer...

Thanks! The phenomenal deal has been going on for 10 years now - who am I to argue with the cable gods who want to charge me less?

 

[DeborahB]

You have been rescued:

'Dollhouse' shuts its doors - From Inside the Box - Zap2it

'Dollhouse': Why we're happy it got canceled (other than the obvious) - From Inside the Box - Zap2it

Alas! I am a Dollhouse fan (although it's nowhere near as good as Firefly, another cancelled show)... At least they are going to air the remaining episodes.

 

[Kronk]

Alas! I am a Dollhouse fan (although it's nowhere near as good as Firefly, another cancelled show)... At least they are going to air the remaining episodes.

It is sad, though I would have liked the show better if the lead had been almost any other Joss Whedon alum other than Eliza Dushku. Amy Acker and Summer Glau are much better actresses and would have been able to carry the show better. Hopefully the guy who played Victor will land somewhere good -- he is phenomenal.

Speaking of Firefly, the opening scene of the pre-Halloween episode of the show Castle was hilarious with Nathan Fillion dressing up as Mal, and lines like "didn't you wear that like five years ago?".

Gotta say that among my monthly expenses, the $100 for HD cable and DVR is probably one of the cheapest on a per-hour basis. We watch sports and DVR quite a number of shows.

 

[RonBoyd]

Yes, I actually read the whole thread, but there were so many options I wasn't sure which one was the best for me.

Yeah, that is the bad news... and the good news. You can "have it your way."

But it actually is much less complicated than you would think. This is all it took for me to have everything a TIVO offers (remember, I don't subscribe to cable/satellite):

1. Connected an HDHomeRun Tuner to my on-the-roof antennae.
2. Connected Tuner to PC. (ethernet LAN)
3. Connected SageTV HD Theater to Tuner (ethernet LAN)
4. Connected Sage TV to TV (HDMI but several other options) I also connected the sound output to a Receiver but this is not necessary unless you want surround sound.
5. Installed Sage software on PC and ran setup (similar to what you do with the TV to set station locations).
6. Sat back and enjoyed myself.

I would recommend getting a USB external drive to store your recordings on. (I have seen 1TB drives at Sam's Club for around $100.)

YMMV Good luck.

 

[TromboneAl]

What's the best device to get the PC content (last week's show's of Mad Men or whatever) to the TV?

This post tells how I record from the computer. You could send the input directly to the TV.

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/internet-movies-and-tv-45206.html#post834663

 

[RonBoyd]

This post tells how I record from the computer. You could send the input directly to the TV.

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/internet-movies-and-tv-45206.html#post834663

I don't know how I missed that thread. On the other hand, looks like I had lots of company.